Haruka Minami
Haruka Minami '(南 春香 ''Minami Haruka) ' '''is the eldest Minami sister, in her second year of high school. She sustains the naming pattern by having Spring ("Haru" or 春) in her name. She is the core of the family unit and has been taking care of her younger sisters for many years, a fact which has had ramifications on her personality and life. For instance, despite her excellent schoolworkIn Okawari, she is asked to be their school's foreign exchange student, a position that implies her academics must be at least near the top of the class. and high intelligence, she attended the same middle-of-the-road middle school Kana does, because it is closer to home.Minami-ke Episode 02#Segment Five (Minami-ke Chapter 009) Further, she is implied to not participate in any after-school club or activity,Minami-ke Episode 04#Segment Four (Minami-ke Chapter 008) though she may have some involvement with the student council,Minami-ke Episode 02#Segment Two (Minami-ke Chapter 003) and likely was class representative in ninth grade.Minami-ke Episode 07#Segment Five She has also rejected every suitor out of hand.Minami-ke Episode 07#Segment Four (Minami-ke Chapter 037) Because of the way she has had to take care of her sisters, Haruka is by far the most reliable of the three sisters, to the point where there are almost no examples of her using Minami Logic.She slips in Minami-ke Episode 05#Segment Two (Minami-ke Chapter 010), when she mysteriously accedes to Chiaki being hung up as a Teru teru bozu all night. She is constantly seen busy cooking, cleaning, shopping or doing other housework. However, this is driven primarily out of love for her sisters.Per Minami-ke Episode 11#Segment Five (Minami-ke Chapter 056), she becomes infinitely lazy whenever she is left by herself. Haruka is voiced by Rina Satou First introduced (manga): Chapter 0 First introduced (anime): Minami-ke Episode 01 Character Design and Uchida are awed by Haruka's body]] Haruka is a very pretty girl with waist-length light brown hair (it is consistent throughout the anime) that has bangs swept to the right, hazel eyes and the largest bust size out of anyone in the show. Particularly relevant in Minami-ke: Okaeri Episode 07#Segment Three (Minami-ke Chapter 114). For comparison, one can inspect these images: File:Minami-ke S1 E05 15m 08s Stitch Crop.png, File:Minami-ke S1 E05 14m 08s Stitch Crop.png. She appears to be of average height for her age, being taller than Maki and shorter than Atsuko. Personality Haruka is a generally kind and nurturing girl. However, despite sweet demeanor, she carries a latent domineering streak, by which she is capable of commanding the obedience of everyone around her, including her sisters. It was for this that she obtained the first Banchou title, becoming the founder of the line. She exerts her strength usually by using her own version of the Serious Face, which may be more properly called the Banchou glare. Her sisters hold great respect for her, and Chiaki Minami treats her as a worshiped mother figure, addressing her as "Haruka-nee-sama". Besides her excellent academics, she is a superb volleyball player, though not a member of the volleyball club.Minami-ke Episode 04#Segment Four (Minami-ke Chapter 008) She is likely the best cook in the show, at the very least tied with Hosaka. Interactions with Others School Life Haruka is a quiet and dignified student, who earns top marks without particularly standing out and spends the most time in the company of Maki and Atsuko (Haruka's friends). Haruka is familiar with Hitomi, Hayami and Natsuki and she has met Hosaka once,Minami-ke Episode 04#Segment Four (Minami-ke Chapter 008) but does not seem to have done so again, partly because of Maki's attempts to keep him away.For instance, Minami-ke: Okawari Episode 05 Despite her skill at volleyball, she refuses to join the Volleyball Club because she needs to take of her sisters, to the considerable vexation of Hayami and she does not participate in any school clubs. She is often seen going out shopping or on small excursions with Maki and Atsuko. However, such occasions are rarer than might be expected, because of Haruka's need to constantly take on the household or to take out her sisters instead. Haruka can also occasionally be seen on the phone with Natsuki, who is typically asking for advice in regards to cooking or Touma,Minami-ke: Okaeri Episode 03#Segment Three (Minami-ke Chapter 061) though it may be suspected he has ulterior motives. When she was in middle school, she acquired a reputation around campus as a Banchou, due to her fearsome demeanor as class representative. Through the mediation of Hiroko, this became the start of a whole line of faux-Banchous.See Minami-ke Episode 07#Segment Four and Five With Her Sisters Haruka has fully internalized her role as ''de facto mother of her two sisters, performing the vast majority of the housework and keeping the home presentable. In return, her sisters treat her with a great deal of respect, obeying her commands instantly on the rare occasions she exercises her full authority. Chiaki Minami, in particular, treats her as a worshiped mother figure. Despite this, she is often the target of or accidental participant in antics perpetrated by her sisters, and she is far more of a peer to them than any mother would be. Most often, however, she is only the bemused observer of the events around her, whether it be yet another fight between Kana Minami and Chiaki or more hijinks involving their friends. Because of her unique role and responsibilities, Haruka has arguably sacrificed a good deal of her own childhood for her sisters' sake. She does not participate in or join any clubs, unconditionally turns down any suitors, and once turns down an opportunity to study abroad, not without some regret.An arc in the second season, culminating in Minami-ke: Okawari Episode 13 Most of her friends admit admiration and respect for her. It is implied that she exerts a lot of willpower to maintain her outer appearance as a motherly older sister, since she is lazy when no one is around.As already mentioned in Minami-ke Episode 11#Segment Five (Minami-ke Chapter 056). She also spends the entire time at the pool in Minami-ke: Okawari Episode 08#Segment Two (Minami-ke Chapter 060) sleeping. In some sense, her sisters keep her going. Admirers Haruka's beauty and gentle nature have attracted a diverse host of admirers, ranging from the batty Hosaka, the silent Natsuki and the way-too-young Makoto, to presumably many unnamed. In addition, she has been confessed-to countless times, but she has turned down every suitor, presumably because of her need to care for her sisters.Minami-ke Episode 07#Segment Four (Minami-ke Chapter 037) It is unclear if she will ever relax this policy, or if anyone really has any hope in this regard. Notable Scenes Despite Despite being a main character, Haruka stops having many scenes of great notoriety after Season 1. However, scenes of Haruka being Banchou are nearly countless. being said, feel free to add to this list. In Minami-ke Episode 05 (Minami-ke Chapter 16), Haruka initially refuses to openly wear the skimpy swimsuit bought for her by her sisters, but easily bows to the peer pressure of her friends wearing similar outfits, with enviable results. In Minami-ke Episode 07, her younger self accidentally starts yet another rumor about her Banchou tendencies when a series of humorous events leads to her dropping a vase on her math teacher. In Minami-ke Episode 08, Haruka displays the impressive and unheard of ability to blow one bubble-gum bubble within another. In Minami-ke Episode 09 (Minami-ke Chapter 18), Haruka, bored from being alone at home with nothing to do, first bakes and then eats an entire layer cake, but leaves evidence for Kana to spot. In Minami-ke Episode 11 (Minami-ke Chapter 55), Haruka punches Natsuki Minami in the face in a mutually agreed-upon expiation of misunderstandings possible from the situation. In Minami-ke: Okawari Episode 05, Haruka lays down the law after Chiaki Minami and Kana Minami accidentally break a glass necklace of hers and try to hide it. In Minami-ke: Okawari Episode 13, Haruka is bemused by her sisters' strange behavior, leading to a heart-warming scene. Trivia * The name 'Haruka '''means "spring" (春) ('haru) and "fragrance" (香) (ka). ** A suitable nickname for her would be "Banchou". * Haruka's surname '''Minami '''means "south" (南). * Haruka is 16-17 years old * Haruka's eyes are hazel in the anime (the same as her sisters), but they are shown to be different colors. ** They are dark-brown in the manga and they later turn red in the later manga covers, like her sisters. * Haruka is shown to have different hair colors in the manga. ** They revert to a reddish-brown in the Volume 6 cover. ** However, in the manga, it is blonde in the Volume 3 cover and orange in the Volume 6 cover. Volume 3 also contains a drawing of Haruka with her normal hair color, probably artistic license. Like with her sisters, it is perhaps most instructive to refer to the full-color Minami-ke Chapter 000, in which her hair is dark blonde and eyes dark brown, as a guide. * Haruka is a world-class bubblegum bubble blower Minami-ke Episode 08#Segment Two. * Haruka is a virgin Minami-ke Episode 02#Segment Two. * Haruka's weak points are her horrific navigation skills and the ease with which she is embarrassed Minami-ke: Okawari Episode 01(Minami-ke Chapter 073). * A meme associated with Haruka is that she is "Amazing". Gallery 35a6a23d4d.png|Haruka's full body and facial expression Minami-ke S1 E04 04m 27s.png|Haruka arriving home Minami-ke Manga v18 cover.jpg Notes Category:Character Category:Minami-ke Character Category:Main Character Category:Female Category:Banchou Category:High Schooler